The 5 Worst Pieces of Relationship Advice We Hear on the Regular

From the time we're young, we're bombarded with relationship advice from all angles. But the fact that you've heard or read something many times doesn't make it true. So how do you sort out the good from the bad?

To help you weed through all the relationship advice people get during their lifetimes, we asked relationship experts what common pieces of supposed wisdom we should actually ignore. Here are their top picks:

1. "Never go to bed angry."

The problem with not going to bed angry is that it can often mean not going to bed at all, which tends to make arguments worse. "Heated discussions at midnight aren't likely to be helpful. Many couples get exhausted and grow angrier as time goes on," says psychotherapist Amy Morin, LCSW. "Better advice is to sleep on it. In the morning, cooler heads often prevail, and it's easier to work together to problem-solve an issue." Clinical psychologist Elizabeth R. Lombardo, Ph.D., agrees, adding, "often times, what seemed so important the night before is not really as vital in the morning."

2. "Leave him"

Too often, says sexologist and relationship coach Claudia Six, Ph.D., people's friends encourage them to automatically leave someone who has wronged them without trying to work things out. "Relationship difficulties are an opportunity for growth," she says. "It’s a red flag for something that needs to be fixed, and leaving the relationship in a fit of anger overlooks the possibility of mending it."

3. "He needs to change."

Psychotherapist Patrick Wanis, Ph.D., often encounters relationships in which one partner is trying to get the other to change. But if you want to be in a relationship on the condition that the other person changes, you shouldn't be in it in the first place, he says. Basically, you should fall in love with the person, not their potential.

4. "Get all your feelings out."

According to psychotherapist Maria Bruce, the worst relationship advice people get is to let out all of their emotions toward their partners. Instead of talking to your partner when you're feeling highly emotional, she says, "Take a time out to cool down, to gain perspective, and absolutely return to the unsolved issue once you have a clearer idea of what you want to say or do about it."

5. "You always need to compromise."

We're always told that compromise is essential to relationships, and a small amount of it is, like watching the Stanley Cup playoffs when you'd rather catch GoT. But according to therapist Larry Shushansky, LICSW, you shouldn't feel like you have to make major concessions for your relationships. When couples compromise, "both parties are giving something up that they don’t want to," he says. "This does little more than breed resentment and a certain amount of suspiciousness, at best. ... It’s an unsatisfactory shortcut when we’re dealing with conflict."